kristingbridges
So, we’re back home and about to head back to reality – work. After spending a full day touring DC on foot (8 miles that day!) with our bikes safely locked up in the private hotel garage, the next day we packed everything up on our bikes one last time. We navigated our way from the Foggy Bottom area (George Washington University) to the train station. There’s a place to the side of the station called BikeStation DC that will store your bike for a small fee for the day. When they heard we were planning to use the lockers in the train station for our bags, they said they would keep it in their storage for us since the train station is so expensive. We tipped well 🙂 Anyway, that morning was drizzly, a lot like our first day out of Pittsburgh. It even poured while we were eating lunch again! We spent the time we had visiting the Air and Space museum before heading back to the train station.
 |
| On the Capitol Express |
When we got all our gear loaded back up and rolled to the gate in the train station, we expected to have to wait for a while. We had reserved tickets on the Capitol Limited with the extra bike roll-on service. In the past, you would have to box your bike and ship it as baggage. On the trains with this service, you roll your bike up to the specially adapted baggage compartment that has racks for bikes to hang on the wall securely. It worked really well! They are expanding the service to more lines, so check for it, but make sure you reserve it ahead. There were a limited number of racks and it looked like it was filled up this time. When we got to the line at the gate, an attendant saw our bikes and sent us to a different area. After people needing extra time to load were on, we were directed to the elevator to take our bikes down to the platform, where we were sent down to the bike storage car. It went super smoothly! Along the way, we even saw part of the trail running along the train while it was still light out.
When we arrived at Pittsburgh a little bit before midnight, we retrieved our bikes and set off to the Parking Authority garage right down the street, where we found our car safe and sound! While the train/parking garage combo wasn’t the cheapest way to do a one-way trip, it wasn’t too expensive and it sure was convenient and everything went perfectly. The garage has a long term stay form to fill out at the front desk if you use this option. It adds some peace of mind, since they know who you are and why your car is there so long – as well as how to reach you if needed.
We back-tracked from Pittsburgh the next morning to go back towards Ohiopyle to see the Frank Lloyd Wright house – Fallingwater. It was really great to see in person. Since Ohiopyle is the nearest town, we even went back to the sandwich shop that was supposed to be so good, but was closed when we were there the first time. It was totally worth it!
So, as promised in an earlier post, here’s a gear rundown:
What we took:
Bikes – Surly Long Haul Truckers – while a mountain bike could work on the C&O trail due to its roughness, these are fantastic touring bikes that take a beating and are easy to maintain. They have mountain bike gearing, which came in handy on climbs off the trails. They are super stable when loaded down and the steel frames provide a little extra absorption of the bumps. We had ours upfitted with “trekker” or “butterfly” bars instead of drop bars and were pleased with that change up.
Panniers – Ortlieb Back-Roller Classic – These are an investment, but they were great. They are waterproof, and we have proven that out a few times now. They wash off easily, are super rugged, and have a quick-release latch, when paired with their rear rack, that makes loading and unloading easy. The shoulder straps really came in handy, too. We have an attachment that can convert one into a backpack, but didn’t take it on this trip, which was the right decision. I kept street clothes and toiletries in one and cycling clothes in the other.
Front Bags – Ortlieb Ultimate 6-M Plus Handlebar bag – Again, waterproof and super easy to take with. We keep everything important/valuable in ours and pop them off anytime we walk away from our bikes, even briefly. Because I’m paranoid, if it’s raining, my phone goes in a baggie inside the bag, but I’ve never had any issues with water intrusion.
Trunks – Brian has an old trunk he’s used for years. It mostly holds tools and the Kryptonite lock and cable. At the last minute, I grabbed a Bontrager Rear Trunk Deluxe bag from our local shop (had to get the one that Velcros on since my Ortlieb rack isn’t compatible with their latch-style one). It worked really well, though it was a bit large. It has a rain cover in a pocket in the lid, which came in handy, but it’s not waterproof without it. I kept food, sunscreen, and rain gear in it. On the side pockets, I kept things like hand sanitizer, the strap for the bag itself and my Clickstand.
Clickstand – These were invaluable! They fold up like a tent pole and come with bungees to hold the handbrakes on with so the bike doesn’t roll off the stand. They even held our bikes with the gear loaded on them.
Lights – even if you don’t plan to ride at nights or on streets, good headlights and rear lights are essential for the tunnels. I use my rear flasher a lot even in the daylight on the roads as an added safety measure. Take your pick, just make sure they are rechargeable (so you don’t have to carry batteries) and have multi-pattern flashing options in addition to steady state. Also, don’t forget a bell! Great for areas where you share the trail with lots of local day riders/walkers.
Water bladder – Another last minute purchase. We used this two times on the C&O trail, where the campsites all have water pumps, but it’s treated with iodine. Two of the days we didn’t have places for lunch stops, so we took extra water in the bladder and were glad we did.
Clothes – We took a minimal amount of clothes….and a tiny bottle of detergent. We each only had 2 pairs of riding shorts and a couple jerseys/shirts plus a couple smartwool or merino wool outer layer choices and wind jackets. We did laundry at least every other night – sometimes in a sink and sometimes in a hotel laundry (waaaay better!). We also minimized street clothes, so I was quite tired of the same clothes every other day, but it worked and kept our bags lighter. You wouldn’t need to carry detergent. Shampoo will work in the sink and most laundromats have detergent for purchase. I loved my convertible pants I got on clearance from REI. They’re really lightweight and can be used as shorts or pants, which is great this time of year.
What we didn’t use, but were glad we took for obvious reasons:
First aid kit
Spare tire tubes, tools, etc.
Tiny camping roll of toilet paper (the portable potties on the trails were pretty good!)
What we missed or would do differently:
We both use PowerGrips instead of clipless pedals, which don’t require special shoes, but a firm sole is good. Brian has a favorite pair of Nikes he wears, so he only took those. I use a pair of Shimano mountain biking shoes (love them!), so I also took a super lightweight travel walking shoe. Brian wished he had brought his Keens, and I probably would do that, too, the next time.
But that’s really all we would change! The keys are to research and prepare! On a trail like this, make sure you get reservations for your overnight stops. It’s a little constraining, since I would have loved an extra night in Shepherdstown, but unless you have camping gear, you can’t count on getting a place to sleep in these tiny towns without reservations. If you’re a camper, you’ll need more gear, but there are many more options, especially on the C&O. The trail site and lots of bloggers and YouTubers have great info on this trail. We’ll post a video on YouTube from our GoPro time-lapse once we get it edited, as well. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and go!